Process for reforming hydrocarbons with carbon dioxide by the use of a selectively permeable membrane reactor

Abstract

A process for reforming a hydrocarbon with carbon dioxide using a selectively permeable membrane reactor including a catalyst 1 for accelerating a chemical reaction and a selectively permeable membrane 3 exhibiting selective permeability, wherein a carbon dioxide reforming reaction of the hydrocarbon is accelerated by the catalyst 1 and a specific component among reaction products produced by the reaction is selectively separated by allowing the specific component to pass through the selectively permeable membrane 3, the process including adding steam to a raw material gas containing the hydrocarbon and the carbon dioxide and supplying the mixture to the selectively permeable membrane reactor. According to the present invention, inactivation of the catalyst due to coking can be prevented when carrying out the carbon dioxide reforming reaction of the hydrocarbon using the permeable membrane reactor, whereby the reaction can be efficiently and stably carried out over a long time.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a process for carrying out a carbon dioxide reforming reaction of a hydrocarbon using a selectively permeable membrane reactor. BACKGROUND ART [0002] A reaction between a hydrocarbon such as methane or propane and steam or carbon dioxide is called a reforming reaction, which has been industrially carried out as means for obtaining a synthesis gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) or hydrogen used as fuel for fuel cells. A catalyst containing a noble metal such as nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, or platinum as an active component is generally used for the reforming reaction in order to accelerate the reaction. Since the reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction, a high temperature of 700° C. or more is generally required. [0003] In recent years, a selectively permeable membrane reactor (membrane reactor) which allows reaction and separation to occur at the same time has been used to produce hydrogen or the like through the reformin...

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Benefits of technology

[0007] In a carbon dioxide reforming reaction of a hydrocarbon such as methane, the catalyst is significantly inactivated due to deposition of coke (coking) during the reaction. In particular, since coking occurs to a large extent when using the selectively permeable membrane reactor in comparison with the case of using a normal reactor, the conversion rate significantly decreases within a short time, thereby making it difficult to stably carry out the reforming reaction over a long time. In recent years, effective utilization of a biomass gas and a low-quality natural gas field has been demanded from the viewpoint of reducing carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is an important technical subject to efficiently carry out a reforming reaction using a selectively permeable membrane reactor utilizing a mixed gas containing a hydrocarbon obtained from the above source and carbon dioxide.

[0008] The present invention was achieved in view of the above-described situation. An object of the present invention is to prevent inactivation of the catalyst due to coking when carrying out a carbon dioxide reforming reaction of a hydrocarbon and separating a specific component such as hydrogen using the selectively permeable membrane reactor to allow the reaction to be efficiently and stably carried out over a long time.

[0010] According to the present invention, inactivation of the catalyst due to coking can be reduced when carrying out the carbon dioxide reforming reaction of the hydrocarbon using the permeable membrane reactor, whereby the reaction can be efficiently and stably carried out over a long time. The present invention may be applied for a carbon dioxide reforming reaction of various hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, kerosine, methanol, and diethyl ether, and is expected to provide a technology for effectively utilizing a biomass gas and a low-quality natural gas field.

Problems solved by technology

In particular, since coking occurs to a large extent when using the selectively permeable membrane reactor in comparison with the case of using a normal reactor, the conversion rate significantly decreases within a short time, thereby making it difficult to stably carry out the reforming reaction over a long time.

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